Tayside Health Board

Administrative changes were introduced following the National Health Service (Scotland) Act
1972. It was decided that in order to provide a more integrated health service, the 3-tiered
system of administration should be abolished. This led to the Regional Hospital Boards
(planning & development of hospital services) and the Executive Councils (pharmaceutical and
general medical, dental and ophthalmic services) being disbanded, and responsibility for
Community Health Services (welfare, preventative medicine and public health) being removed
from Local Authorities. After 1948 some of the duties of medical officers of health were
removed from local government, but they continued to be responsible for the provision of
community and public health services until the NHS (Scotland) Act 1972 (c.58) transferred
this role to the new Health Boards and the post of medical officer of health ceased to exist.
Boards of Management, which had been responsible for the day-to-day management of hospitals,
were also abolished under the new system. Instead 15 health boards acting on behalf of the
Secretary of State for Scotland were established. Tayside Health Board replaced the Eastern
Regional Hospital Board.